kthorne@umich.edu
This is a large quilt, about 56 X 56. It hangs on my sewing room wall. 2004
There are more quilts to view, see sidebar for categories.
I always like to use some plaids, if the piece calls for it. I have quite a collection. This “still life” is inspired by so many fine art still lifes (lives?) over hundreds of years. Many featured both flowers and fruit. Like mine. I intend to do some more of this type. It’s just fun to do and look at. The flowers and fruit are fused onto the background and then quilted down.
Detail:
This one is almost identical in design to the “featured” quilt at the top of my blog, which I am now calling Dappled Sunlight: Autumn. The spring weather recently (although absent for some days now) inspired me to get out the greens and yellows. It is hand-quilted in a big stitch, just like its sister piece. They are both 25 by 38 inches in size. It contains commercial fabrics, hand-dyes, and some hand stenciled/painted fabrics.
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Last summer I took a class on “making” fabric–by which the teacher meant take plain fabric and paint/stamp/stencil/etc. to embellish it. I did this recently using a credit card (not my current one!) dipped in black paint to make marks on muslin. I knew I wanted to use the new fabric for a birch bark effect. I think it turned out well. I still have some of the fabric, so I may do another birch piece some time. The “snow” layer in this one is pieced triangles in white/neutral colors. The border is an Australian fabric that I thought conveyed a windy day.
The Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild is a sponsor of SafeHouse Center of Washtenaw County. SafeHouse provides free and confidential services, including shelter, for those who live or work in Washtenaw County impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault. In 2019, the Guild donated more than 300 quilts to SafeHouse. Each person who stays at SafeHouse has one of these handmade quilts on their bed, and takes it home with them. We know that these quilts not only make a comforting welcome for stressed individuals and families, but as a reminder that the community cares about them and their future.
We recently heard from SafeHouse that their supply of quilts was down to 20! Time for many us to get cracking and fix that problem. I had several partially finished quilt tops, and got the batting and backs ready to quilt them. Finished two in about 8 days. Each SafeHouse quilt donated has a label attached. In addition to the Guild logo the label contains this message: “Made especially for you because we care.”
Just delivered them today. Other Guild members have already sent in over a dozen and I’m sure there are more to come.
This one is actually a nice chambray blue, but it shows here as grey.
On this one I quilted some words (Joy, Happy, Play, Fun) and some hearts and the year 2020.
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This little piece uses some of my hand-dyed fabrics. After I got the background, stems, and leaves in place, I decided to add stitching around each leaf. I like that effect.
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This quilt is similar in construction to others I have made. Stripes, in triangles. I used my walking foot to quilt straight lines, using several colors of thread. (I have not yet run out of stripes, by the way!) The borders are all the same fabric, which transitions from blues to pinks. It is also used in the body of the quilt. Some of the stripes show up here as solids, but they do have a subtle line.
Detail:
This one is not new, but I haven’t shared it here before. Made with my ice-dyed fabric.
